Celebrating a Win for the Florida Wildlife Corridor – and Florida’s Conservation Future
Currently, Conservation Florida is the only Florida land trust working statewide to protect land within the Florida Wildlife Corridor by developing strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements.
From the Florida Panhandle to the Florida Keys, Conservation Florida’s ongoing efforts are successfully shaping our state’s future and preserving some of the rarest habitats and species in the world.
In July 2021, we celebrated a major milestone when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act into law. A vital and vibrant part of Florida’s ecological landscape, the Corridor forms a greenway across the state that connects the Florida Everglades to the Panhandle and encompasses a mosaic of natural habitats.
Florida Wildlife Corridor map by: Archbold Biological Station. By A. Meeks
Currently, Conservation Florida is the only Florida land conservancy working statewide to protect land within the Corridor by developing strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. “The signing marks a big win for land conservation in Florida and sparks both excitement and inspiration for Florida’s conservation future,” said Traci Deen, Conservation Florida’s CEO.
“The Florida Wildlife Corridor provides a vision for Florida as a whole that protects the places we all love, offers habitat and room to roam for our native species, cleans and stores water, provides ample outdoor recreational opportunity, and supports Florida’s family farms and ranches, all while accounting for Florida’s future growth,” she added.
Conservation Florida has been working on connecting key segments of the Florida Wildlife Corridor since its founding in 1999. Together with its incredible partners and supporters, Conservation Florida is now actively leading the charge to protect over 100,000 acres. We look forward to working with the State of Florida to achieve continued success within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Act includes many ambitious conservation goals.
Maintain wildlife access to the habitats for migration and genetic exchange amongst regional wildlife populations.
Prevent fragmentation of wildlife habitats.
Protect the headwaters of major watersheds, including the Everglades and the St. Johns River.
Provide ecological connectivity of lands needed for large-scale ecosystem functions, such as water and prescribed burns that are essential for land management and restoration.
Preserve and protect land and waters that are not only vital to wildlife, but also critical to the state’s groundwater recharge and serve as watersheds that provide drinking water to most Floridians as well as help maintain the health of downstream coastal estuaries.
Provide crossings for the protection and safety of wildlife and the traveling public.
Help to sustain Florida’s working ranches, farms, and forests that provide compatible wildlife habitat while sustaining rural prosperity and agricultural production.
Photo by Larry Richardson.
The scrub-jay and Florida panther, two local protected species. Photo by Adam Bass.
Cowboys on a ranch farm herding cattle. Photo by Adam Bass.
Where the Wild Things Grow
Protecting wild places is our mission, but people and communities will always remain at the heart of what we do. We establish relationships and partnerships based on a reputation of trust, results, and excellence.
by Sarah M. Collins, Director of Philanthropy
Thanks to the support and vision of so many, Conservation Florida is a dynamic driver of land and water conservation in Florida. We who love Florida have a limited window of opportunity to protect the future of our state for the benefit of all—people and wildlife alike.
Protecting wild places is our mission, but people and communities will always remain at the heart of what we do. We establish relationships and partnerships based on a reputation of trust, results, and excellence.
The demand and urgency to protect Florida’s irreplaceable conservation lands is growing and the pace is ramping up, as Florida has become one of the fastest growing states in the nation.
Conservation Florida is focused on meeting these challenges collaboratively and strategically, and we feel a great urgency to increase our efforts. We are leading conservation projects on thousands of acres across Florida – from the Panhandle to the Everglades – protecting wild and working landscapes. Conservation Florida is working diligently on your behalf to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations.
So, this is it – the last great push for land conservation in our State – and we are on the frontlines. When an incredible land opportunity arises, we have to act fast. We need to show up at the table ready to make a deal. Your donation goes directly toward protecting land that supports native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy, and nature-based recreation.
Your support allows us to act swiftly to save more Florida land. Together, let’s give our great-great-grandchildren a gift from us — a future for Florida that’s bright.
Thank you for joining us as we protect the places we cannot afford to lose.
Photo by Sarah M. Collins.
PERSONAL PHILANTHROPY
With your support, through annual giving or a multi-year pledge, you can donate with a credit card online, by mailing a check, or even with a stock transfer.
VOLUNTEERISM
Your team can lend a hand at D Ranch Preserve through meaningful, team-building service, ideal for those who enjoy working outside and leaving a place better than they found it.
CORPORATE GIVING
Corporate commitment, partnership, and financial support not only deepens our land conservation impact, but also provides meaningful marketing, sales, promotional, and philanthropic value.
IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER
Taxpayers aged 70 ½ or older can make tax-free gifts up to $100,000 annually from individual retirement accounts to charity, called a “Qualified Charitable Distribution.”
IN-KIND SUPPORT
Your company’s services or products can make a significant difference in our work. From technology, to apparel, to outdoor tools, to food and beverage, your company has an opportunity to provide vital support that helps protect places that are important to people and places across the state.
LEAVE A LEGACY
Planned gifts are deeply personal decisions, and we will walk with you through the process. Options include your 401k, real estate, retirement and savings accounts, and estate planning.
CORPORATE MATCHING
Double or even triple your giving through corporate match opportunities aimed at charitable contributions.
EVENT SPONSORSHIP
Many of our partners support our signature events with a corporate sponsorship, corporate table, or in-kind contributions to have a lasting impact and benefit Floridians for generations to come.
REAL ESTATE
By donating all or part of your home, vacation home, commercial building, or investment property, you may be able to reduce your capital gains tax, receive an income tax deduction, and/or receive an income for life – you may even be able to continue to use or live on the property.
This Brand Saves Land is a corporate cause-marketing partnership that allows businesses to directly impact the quality of life for present and future generations of Floridians. It also directly informs your clients, consumers, or customers that YOUR brand saves land and gives charitably.
DONATE STOCKS + BONDS + MUTUAL FUNDS
By making a gift of appreciated securities, you have the opportunity to avoid capital gains tax, diversify your portfolio, and/or secure a stream of income. Provide your broker with the below information, including your name and contact information.
Broker: Fidelity Management Trust Company
Address: PO Box 770001 Cincinnati, Ohio 45277-0037
Phone: (800) 952-4438 (Fidelity Charitable)
Account Name: Conservation Florida, Inc.
Account Number: Z50688312
DCT Number: 0226
For more information about specific giving opportunities, please contact Sarah.
Sarah M. Collins
Director of Philanthropy
sarah@conserveflorida.org
(352) 376-4770
Champions for Conservation: David and Peggy Carr
David and Peggy Carr have a passion for conservation that runs deep. In fact, David co-founded Conservation Florida, and Peggy was instrumental in creating the Florida Ecological Greenways Network map, which is the science and mapping foundation that makes up the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Conservation Florida caught up with them at their family’s cabin in Micanopy, Florida.
David and Peggy Carr with their furry companions at the historic Carr Cabin in Micanopy.
David and Peggy Carr have a passion for conservation that runs deep. In fact, David co-founded Conservation Florida, and Peggy was instrumental in creating the Florida Ecological Greenways Network map, which is the science and mapping foundation that makes up the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
In addition to being long-time conservationists, David and Peggy Carr are twenty-year owners of Pearl Country Store and Barbecue in Micanopy. David grew up in Micanopy on his family’s farm and has always had a fondness for the community. After the high school sweethearts married, they both went on to graduate school and began their careers, each with a conservation orientation.
David worked as a staff member on the Florida House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Committee, for Florida Defenders of the Environment’s Environmental Service Center, and as the first Executive Director for the Sea Turtle Conservancy (nee Caribbean Conservation Corporation.)
Peggy, a landscape architect, worked for park systems in Florida, North Carolina, and Costa Rica before becoming a professor at the University of Florida. There she worked with colleagues on the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, the Florida Greenways Network, early versions of the Florida Ecological Network and 1000 Friends of Florida’s Florida 2060 and Florida 2070 reports.
They were both heavily influenced by David’s famous parents, Archie and Marjorie Carr. Archie was a charismatic teacher (and a gifted writer and naturalist) bringing his love for and knowledge about nature and people to life through his numerous books. He received many accolades, and on his death, he became the first recipient of the Ecological Society of America’s Eminent Ecologist Award. Marjorie founded Florida Defenders of the Environment, a group of scientists that successfully stopped the Cross Florida Barge Canal.
Conservation Florida staff met with the couple at their family’s historic cabin in Micanopy to learn more about their longstanding support of Conservation Florida’s mission.
WHY DID YOU GIVE?
David: It takes money to run an organization. We hope more land can be protected, and it’s a long, slow process. It’s accomplished in bits and pieces. This parcel, then that parcel. Over time, it starts to come together.
Peggy: Another reason is that Florida is not a lost cause. There have been so many land conservation successes in Florida. We have a framework to build upon. There’s reason to be hopeful.
WHAT ACTION WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO TAKE TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION IN OUR STATE?
Peggy: Give! I would also encourage you to support politicians with a conservation ethic. Vote for ballot initiatives that fund land conservation. And, most importantly, enjoy it! Enjoy all that Florida nature offers.
David: I’d like to share a quote from my father’s book, A Naturalist in Florida: A Celebration of Eden. “In listing some reasons for optimism over the state of nature and man in Florida, one favorable development outweighs all the rest. It is not another species on the mend, or a new park or preserve or sanctuary established. It is rather a change in the heart of the people. … The rise of this new stewardship gives heart to opponents of ecologic ruin everywhere and brings promise of better times for man and nature in Florida.”
David’s parents purchased their historic farm in Micanopy in 1950, where they lived until Archie’s death in 1987. Since, David and his siblings and their offspring continue to take great pleasure in the place, most recently celebrating Thanksgiving there all together.
David and Peggy continue to work to see the farm and its environs permanently protected through Florida Forever and Alachua County Forever.
Feeling inspired by David and Peggy Carr?
Make an Impact with Monthly Donations
Anyone can become a champion for conservation by choosing to make a donation to Conservation Florida. While there are many ways to give, from conservation easements to one-time gifts, donors often find the simplicity of monthly giving to be most ideal. Many, including the Carrs, prefer to make recurring donations each month because it spreads the financial impact of giving across the entire year. It also helps Conservation Florida facilitate better long-term planning and map out future preservation efforts. Any amount makes a difference. Even $5 can support land conservation by purchasing native plants for habitat restoration. For more information about monthly recurring gifts, as well as additional opportunities to give, please contact Sarah Collins at sarah@conserveflorida.org or (352) 376-4770.
Progress at Conservation Florida’s D Ranch Preserve
Once a historic cattle ranch, D Ranch Preserve is now a haven for wildlife. Thanks to a generous donation, Conservation Florida owns the 476-acre preserve in Volusia County and has completed a plan for its future and the restoration of its important native habitats.
Once a historic cattle ranch, D Ranch Preserve is now a haven for wildlife. Thanks to a generous donation, Conservation Florida owns the 476-acre preserve in Volusia County. Learn more about D Ranch Preserve here.
Management Plan Complete
Forever is a mighty long time! That’s why land conservancies like Conservation Florida make management plans for properties that we are responsible for protecting in perpetuity. Making sure our preserves are appropriately taken care of is known as stewardship and “includes working to maintain or improve the ecological processes and functions of the landscape,” according to the Land Trust Alliance.
Conservation Florida’s land protection team developed a plan to restore native habitat at D Ranch Preserve while allowing for limited public use of the land.
The management plan ensures that permitted activities are compatible with the conservation goals, stewardship policies, and mission of Conservation Florida as required for national accreditation by the Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission. The plan outlines the ways in which Conservation Florida will restore D Ranch to its natural state and eventually open it up to the public for hiking, horseback riding, and academic research.
Lillian Dinkins, Conservation Florida’s land protection fellow, helped catalog species, and assess the habitats in need of restoration. Over 60 species of native plants have been documented at D Ranch, including rare pine lilies and orchids. Conservation Florida is restoring critical Florida scrub habitat and scrubby flatwoods for the benefit of many Florida species such as Florida Scrub Jays, sand skinks, eastern indigo snakes, wood storks, and burrowing owls.
Restoration Underway
Work has begun to prepare the land for a controlled burn, which will help the native plant communities on the property thrive. In addition, our team is working to remove invasive species, plant native plants, and create trails.
The property served as a cow/calf operation for decades and protects the Lake Monroe Watershed. Its protection created a connected corridor of conservation lands that will protect wildlife habitat and water feeding into both Lake Monroe and the St. John’s River!
Get Involved
D Ranch Preserve is not open to the public, but we regularly host guided tours and public events on the property. From logging biodiversity at our annual bioblitz to leading bird watching hikes and volunteer clean-up events with partnering organizations, we invite you to join us at D Ranch Preserve soon.
Sign up for our email news alerts to receive invitations to special events and to be notified of volunteer opportunities at the preserve.
“Protect Our Paradise” Docuseries Will Spotlight the Conservation Movement in Florida
Conservation Florida and Crawford Entertainment are launching Protect Our Paradise, a new conservation TV series, airing on Discover Florida Channel in 2022.
Conservation Florida and Crawford Entertainment are launching a new conservation TV series airing on Discover Florida Channel in 2023.
UPDATE: visit conservationfla.org/protectourparadise to learn how YOU can Protect Our Paradise today.
Orlando, Fla. (September 20, 2021) — An exciting new show aims to explore Florida’s wild, wonderful places and expose environmental issues that threaten their existence. The six-episode docuseries is a joint venture of Crawford Entertainment and Conservation Florida, two Florida-based organizations partnering to “Protect Our Paradise.”
The series will look at challenges facing Florida and serve as a catalyst to propel conservation at a statewide level. Each episode will feature a unique aspect of Florida’s environment and some of the people working to protect Florida’s wildlife, wild landscapes, and wild waters.
Spearheaded by the critically acclaimed host of “how to Do Florida,” Chad Crawford, the show will be presented by the nonprofit land conservancy Conservation Florida. The docuseries will initially air on Discover Florida Channel, a streaming channel that boasts the world's largest collection of Florida programming.
“‘Protect Our Paradise’ is a thought-provoking series that inspires action,” said Crawford. “We’re going to travel all over the state talking to people who are on the front lines fighting for Florida, tell their story, and invite people to join us.”
Floridians are up against some of the hardest challenges yet to “Protect Our Paradise.” The state’s population growth rate is rapidly increasing, water resources are being threatened, and most of all wildlife is being disrupted by rampant development. The paradise that we all have grown to love is changing daily, and soon these changes will have detrimental impacts.
“Protect Our Paradise” will feature the important work of conservationists who are leading the way to keep Florida wild. In addition to amplifying conservationists and their work around the state, the show will highlight Florida’s land, water, wildlife, and the green infrastructure essential to Florida’s conservation future.
Proposed episodes will cover six topics that range from the Florida Wildlife Corridor to coastal systems and shine a light on organizations, agencies, and individuals protecting the state’s land, water, and wildlife for future generations.
“Co-creating “Protect Our Paradise” with Crawford Entertainment is an extraordinary opportunity to raise awareness of the important mission before us all,” said Traci Deen, Conservation Florida’s CEO. “We want every Floridian to know what we are collectively facing and invite those watching to join in and support conservation so that we can have a better future for Florida—so that we can “Protect Our Paradise.”
According to Deen, Conservation Florida’s mission to protect natural and agricultural landscapes has never been more important because of the tremendous pressure being placed on Florida’s ecosystems.
Florida is the third-most populous state in the nation, growing by nearly 1,000 newcomers each day. We’re projected to exceed 30 million residents by 2060. With this comes a greater demand for water and the development of rural and natural lands for urban use. How we manage our natural resources over the next 10 years – what we save and what we pave – will undoubtedly determine Florida’s conservation future and the future of Florida as a whole.
“Protect our Paradise” will draw attention to the urgent need to work together to save Florida’s natural resources, and, most importantly, it will offer viewers ways to help.
“Protect our Paradise” made possible by the support of the Bellini Better World.
Help Conservation Florida “Protect Our Paradise” and keep Florida wildly beautiful by making a donation today!
About Conservation Florida:
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation and incubation of conservation projects.
We save land by developing conservation strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. Our other services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!
About Crawford Entertainment and Discover Florida Channel
Born in 2005, Crawford Entertainment’s mission is the belief that their content makes the world a better place. The company produces and distributes nationally syndicated specials, documentaries, and original content which air on major U.S. networks and digital streaming platforms worldwide. Crawford Entertainment’s team of award-winning professionals can take a brand or organization’s message and turn it into entertaining yet informative long-form content. Crawford Entertainment has an earned reputation for high production quality and effective distribution. Simply put, the company produces content that people will watch.
Conservation Florida Secures Time to Protect Lake Marion Preserve Thanks to a Conservation Buyer
Lake Marion Preserve contains federally listed and state listed flora and fauna species including a rare habitat known as Rosemary Scrub. As habitat management is undertaken on the Preserve, the area is anticipated to increase its’ listed species utilization.
A friend of Florida, who wishes to remain anonymous, worked with Conservation Florida to outbid a developer and purchase 700+ acres on Lake Marion in Polk County.
Haines City, Fla. (July 27, 2021) – Conservation Florida, a dynamic driver of statewide land conservation and partner in the protection of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, announced today the temporary protection of Lake Marion Preserve. The group plans to permanently protect the land with Polk County, US Fish and Wildlife, and other partners.
“Working with a conservation buyer allowed us to move quickly to get this high-priority property off the market,” said Adam Bass, Conservation Florida’s director of conservation. “There were competing bids from developers, but now we have time to pull together funding for its permanent protection.”
The significance of its location cannot be overstated. Lake Marion Preserve falls within the boundaries of Conservation Florida’s Headwaters to Okeechobee (H2O) Initiative and within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. It is also within the Avon Park Air Force Range’s Sentinel Landscape and adjacent to other protected land.
Once permanently protected, it will expand on current conservation lands within the Florida Wildlife Corridor that cover more than 3,000 acres from Catfish Creek Preserve to Lake Wales Ridge State Forest.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor is a geographic boundary based on decades of scientific research. But it is more than lines on a map. It is a statewide vision for Florida’s conservation lands that addresses the need for landscape-scale conservation approaches, and specifically corridors, to save land critical to the survival of Florida species.
Lake Marion Preserve contains federally listed and state listed flora and fauna species including a rare habitat known as Rosemary Scrub. As habitat management is undertaken on the Preserve, the area is anticipated to increase its’ listed species utilization.
Rosemary scrub habitat, also called rosemary bald, is a relatively open landscape characterized by large Florida Rosemary shrubs (Ceratiola ericoides). While it is locally common in Highlands County and a few other regions of Florida, Florida Rosemary is still under threat from habitat destruction and degradation. The threatened sand skink is found primarily in the rosemary scrub habitat of Central Florida. Photo by Adam Bass.
Due to the overgrown habitat conditions, no Florida Scrub-Jays are currently within the Preserve; however, the adjacent managed public land supports several family groups. The Scrub-Jay Recovery Team identified this property as important to the future of the Florida Scrub-Jay because it contains habitat needed by the birds to increase the number of family groups in the area. With proper management the preserve is anticipated to provide additional habitat not just for Florida Scrub-Jays but for a suite of species.
The Florida Scrub Jay is the only bird species endemic to Florida, meaning its found nowhere else in the world. It inhabits sand pine and xeric oak scrub, and scrubby flatwoods. It is listed as a threatened species because of loss, fragmentation, and degradation of scrub habitats throughout Florida, due primarily to urbanization, agriculture, and fire suppression. Prescribed burning is an essential element to conserving the Florida Scrub-Jay. Photo by Adam Bass.
“The bigger the population, the better for the species, said Todd Mecklenborg, the Service’s species lead recovery biologist for the Florida Scrub-Jay. As a member of the Florida Scrub-Jay Recovery Team, I believe this property will increase the carrying capacity for the Lake Wales Ridge genetic unit, which means a more resilient and robust population of Florida Scrub-Jays in the area.”
Sand skinks are another threatened species that would benefit from protection and restoration of the habitat at Lake Marion Preserve. “Sand skinks are endemic to xeric habitats found along Central Florida sand ridges, and remnants of ancient coastal dunes created during events when sea levels rose and fell. These habitats include rosemary scrub, scrubby flatwoods, sand pine and oak scrubs, and turkey oak ridge,” according to the Florida Natural Areas Inventory. The Florida sand skink is found only in seven Central Florida counties: Osceola, Polk, Lake, Highlands, Putnam, Orange, and Marion.
With over 400 acres of xeric scrub habitat and over 3 miles of shoreline on Lake Marion, it is critical that partners find the funding to repay the conservation buyer and bring the ownership of the property into public hands.
Conservation Florida and its partners have secured partial funding and are working to sort out the details of ownership and management of the land, but eventually, the partners envision the land as a public park with the addition of a conservation easement held by Conservation Florida
Help Conservation Florida save more land and keep Florida wildly beautiful by making a donation today!
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation and incubation of conservation projects.
We save land by developing conservation strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. Our other services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!
About Polk County
Polk County is a leading contributor to the state’s economy and politics. While citrus, cattle, agriculture and the phosphate industry still play vital roles in the local economy, an increased focus on the quickly expanding high-tech I-4 corridor has taken hold. The county’s location between both the Tampa and Orlando metropolitan areas has aided in the development and growth of the area. Residents and visitors alike are drawn to the unique character of the county’s numerous heritage sites and cultural venues, tourism attractions, stunning natural landscapes, and many outdoor activities, making Polk the heart of Central Florida.
About USFWS
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the premier government agency dedicated to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish, wildlife and plants, and their habitats. We are the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is the conservation and management of these important natural resources for the American public.
The Service's origins date back to 1871 when Congress established the U.S. Fish Commission to study the decrease in the nation’s food fishes and recommend ways to reverse that decline. (More on our history below.) Today, we are a diverse and largely decentralized organization, employing about 8,000 dedicated professionals working out of facilities across the country, including a headquarters office in Falls Church, Virginia, and eight regional offices representing the 12 Unified Interior Regions.
Conservation Florida and Wildlands Conservation Announce Partnership to Achieve Greater Mission Impact
In addition to its core land protection services, Conservation Florida’s staff will contribute communication and fundraising expertise to the partnership. Wildlands Conservation will pitch in with environmental education and applied conservation research expertise to round out the partnership.
Orlando, Fla. (July 27, 2021) — Conservation Florida and Wildlands Conservation have established a formal partnership that will benefit land conservation throughout Florida.
While both nonprofits work to protect land, their approaches and expertise are diverse and complementary.
Each organization will leverage the strengths of the other to accomplish shared goals in a collaborative and cost-efficient manner.
Conservation Florida and Wildlands Conservation have been collaborating on projects for the past year. They recognized through these joint efforts that each organization’s goals, objectives, and values were in close alignment.
"This is a perfect example of a strategic partnership that elevates the missions of each partner,” said Traci Deen, Conservation Florida’s CEO. “Wildlands brings scientific and land management skills that adds to our team’s legal and real estate expertise. Together, we will be able to save more ecologically important land – faster and more effectively.”
Conservation Florida’s mission is to protect Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations, while Wildlands Conservation mission is to conserve and manage wildlands.
“We believe that this collaboration represents an example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Both our organizations and staff look forward to this partnership for years to come,” said David Sumpter, executive director of Wildlands Conservation.
In addition to its core land protection services, Conservation Florida’s staff will contribute communication and fundraising expertise to the partnership. Wildlands Conservation will pitch in with environmental education and applied conservation research expertise to round out the partnership. Their staff includes ecologists, researchers, environmental educators, wildlife biologists, and land managers.
Partnerships are an important part of Conservation Florida’s statewide land protection strategy. Working with like minded individuals, businesses, and organizations allows the land conservancy to expand its reach and further its mission.
Through the power of partnership, the two land conservancies will be able to make land-saving strides towards their shared vision for Florida’s conservation future.
Help Conservation Florida save more land and keep Florida wildly beautiful by making a donation today!
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation and incubation of conservation projects.
We save land by developing conservation strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. Our other services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!
About Wildlands Conservation
Wildlands Conservation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization specializing in conservation planning and policy, land management, land protection, research, education, and outreach. The organization works on conservation projects throughout Florida. It's mechanisms for conserving lands are ever-changing and a direct function of its staff’s expertise. Wildlands Conservation aims to share accurate and up-to-date information with environmental professionals who work hands-on with threatened and endangered species and offers an internship program to train the next generation of conservation biologists.
Conservation Florida Secures Funding For a Ranch in the Heart of the Florida Wildlife Corridor
Conservation Florida and its partners at USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) are working to protect a 1,009-acre working cattle ranch in Highlands County.
Conservation Florida and its partners at USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are working to protect a 1,009-acre working cattle ranch in Highlands County.
Lake Placid, Fla. (July 15, 2021) – Conservation Florida, a dynamic driver of statewide land conservation and partner in the protection of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, is one step closer to acquiring a 1,009-acre conservation easement in Highlands County thanks to the power of partnerships.
Thanks to NRCS Florida’s Agricultural Conservation Easement Program for Agricultural Land Easements Grasslands of Special Significance (ACEP-ALE-GSS) program, Conservation Florida has secured nearly $2 million to protect AP Ranch, which lies in a strategic location next to other protected lands. Identified as a critical linkage, this property is among the Florida Ecological Greenways Network’s highest priorities, and once protected, will build upon an unbroken chain of conservation properties within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
Conservation Florida placed the property under contract to protect the land in April. Three months later it is working with partners to complete the purchase of a conservation easement, which will protect the property’s natural and agricultural landscapes.
Protecting these vast landscapes is important for water storage and filtration, native grasslands and plant communities, and for species that require a lot of room to roam, such as Florida black bears which have been seen on the property. These wide-ranging species are dependent on the conservation of connected natural lands for their survival.
The protection of AP Ranch will add 1,009 acres of critical conservation land to the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a statewide ecological greenway connecting the Everglades to the Panhandle. This will ultimately provide wildlife with access to safe passageways between conservation areas throughout the state.
“Primarily composed of native range, longleaf pine flatwoods, cutthroat seep and wetlands, this unbelievable ranch is home to an abundance of documented native and endangered wildlife,” said Adam Bass, Conservation Florida’s director of conservation. “Florida panthers, black bears, gopher tortoises, and rare grasses found only in Florida...this property’s protection will be a home run. We’re pleased and honored to work with this landowner to meet their conservation goals,” said Bass. “That’s what Conservation Florida is here for. We’re looking forward to protecting this piece of wild Florida together with the landowner and our partners.”
The ranch is also located within the boundaries of Conservation Florida’s H2O: Headwaters to Okeechobee initiative, a land conservation initiative that’s all about water in the Northern Everglades. This vital and vibrant landscape contains historic cattle ranches, sweeping vistas, and thriving ecosystems.
The map above shows AP Ranch’s connection to other protected lands.
In addition to being a working family ranch, this outstanding property contains a mosaic of natural habitats. Towering longleaf pine covers swaths of wire grass and saw palmettos. The area’s dominating flatwoods intertwine with native grasses and rare plant species to create a classic example of Florida’s natural beauty.
During a site visit to the property, the Conservation Florida team documented cutthroat grass communities. The protection of cutthroat grass is important because this species of grass is only found in five Florida counties. Not only does this native grass contribute to the integrity of Florida’s natural ecosystems, but it also provides a home to important species such as the federally threatened Eastern indigo snake.
The property’s multitude of habitats provide shelter for several state and federally threatened species such as the Florida scrub jay and the Florida panther. Iconic, and quickly disappearing species such as these, rely on the continued protection of conservation lands for their survival.
At a time when Florida’s last, large ranchlands are under intense development pressures, Conservation Florida has made ranchlands in the Northern Everglades a top protection priority.
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has awarded Conservation Florida a grant to protect this important property via its Grasslands of Special Significance program.
“Conservation of this property provides numerous ecological and economic benefits in this area. Having partners like Conservation Florida is essential to preserving Florida’s natural spaces,” said Juan Hernandez, Florida State Conservationist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The NRCS administers the ACEP-ALE-GSS, which provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands and wetlands and their related benefits.
Help Conservation Florida save more land and keep Florida wildly beautiful by making a donation today!
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation and incubation of conservation projects.
We save land by developing conservation strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. Our other services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!
About NRCS
NRCS puts more than 80 years of experience to work assisting America's private landowners with conserving their soil, water and other natural resources. Local, state and federal agencies and policymakers also rely on our expertise. We deliver technical assistance based on sound science and suited to a customer's specific needs. Cost shares and financial incentives are available in some cases. The majority of conservation application is accomplished with local partners. Our partnership with local conservation districts serves almost every county in Florida. Participation in NRCS programs is voluntary.
Conservation Florida Establishes Inaugural Regional Advisory Council in Northwest Florida
The Northwest Advisory Council will serve as a community champion of Conservation Florida and its work in the area. It will build a community that informs the organization’s decisions on the needs specific to northwest Florida.
Conservation Florida has created its first regional advisory council in the Florida panhandle.
Pensacola, Fla. (July 1, 2021) — The Northwest Advisory Council will serve as a community champion of Conservation Florida and its work in the area. It will build a community that informs the organization’s decisions on the needs specific to northwest Florida.
“Conservation Florida’s creation of the Northwest Advisory Council addresses a critical need in our region. Conservation Florida has such a tremendous reputation throughout the state of working with private landowners to protect wild and working landscapes. I am honored to be a part of such an important group,” said Justin Beck, chairman of council.
Conservation Florida’s Northwest Advisory Council will provide the land conservancy with more in-depth, personal knowledge of the region that can be used to continue developing its holistic statewide strategy.
By learning more about the conservation priorities of Northwest Florida through its regional advisory council, Conservation Florida will be able to tailor its statewide conservation strategy to the unique challenges and opportunities in that area.
The council will increase Conservation Florida’s statewide impact by fostering a network of likeminded people and organizations committed to Florida’s conservation future.
“Protecting what makes Northwest Florida special for future generations is something I believe in dearly,” said Justin. “Having the opportunity to work with Conservation Florida is a chance to really make a difference and preserve the special places and way of life we enjoy here.”
The Northwest Advisory Council will ensure that the area gets regional representation in the land conservancy’s statewide conservation goals. This is the first of several regional advisory councils that will allow Conservation Florida to create a one-of-a-kind conservation plan for Florida that addresses regional differences.
Northwest Florida is a priority for Conservation Florida and a large component of the organization’s statewide strategy. Viewing the state regionally gives a clearer picture of the work that needs to be done and how the Conservation Florida team can adjust its land protection plans for different areas throughout the state.
In 2019, Conservation Florida protected the 717-acre property called Wakulla Caves as a part of a larger strategy to save land within the Wakulla Springs Protection Zone Florida Forever project. This Northwest Florida gem protects freshwater resources, offers world-class scuba diving and recreational opportunities, and solidifies a conservation corridor with key habitat for native plants and wildlife.
Conservation Florida plans to create more advisory councils in the areas its serves, such as Greater Central Florida and South Central Florida/Northern Everglades. This will strengthen its statewide presence, address the specific needs of the different regions of Florida, and allow its team to tailor conservation plans to the unique wild Florida areas it works in.
“We are building communities throughout the state in the areas in which we work to better understand the specific needs, community values, and goals of each region,” said Traci Deen, Conservation Florida’s CEO.
From the Everglades to the Panhandle, our landscape-scale projects are saving some of the rarest ecosystems and plant and animal species in the world.
Interested in getting involved with a regional council?
Email info@conserveflorida.org to learn more about how you can be a part of Florida’s conservation future and make a statewide impact!
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation and incubation of conservation projects.
We save land by developing conservation strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. Our other services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!
Fighting to Preserve Florida’s Natural Beauty For Generations
Adam Bass’s agriculture roots and passion for conservation are on full display as he works as the director of conservation for Conservation Florida.
Republished with permission. Originally published in In The Field Magazine May 2021, Polk Edition
Photo by Adam Bass
Fighting to Preserve Florida’s Natural Beauty For Generations
Photo of Adam Bass by Lloyd Green.
Adam Bass’s agriculture roots and passion for conservation are on full display as he works as the director of conservation for Conservation Florida.
To outsiders Florida often comes across as a tourist haven, but locals know that the state’s true beauty lies in its natural wildlife and agricultural roots.
Adam Bass spent his childhood running among citrus groves and helping his family grow blueberries and work cattle in Winter Haven. He fell in love with Florida’s natural beauty and now works as a director for Conservation Florida to help preserve the agricultural and wild land that is left.
“Our primary tool for conservation is the conservation easement,” Bass said. “In layman’s terms, we essentially are buying development rights so that farmers or ranchers or landowners can continue to farm, ranch, hunt, recreate on their property. We just don’t want to see houses out there in the future. That’s kind of one of our unofficial mottos, ‘Ranches, not rooftops.”
Conservation Florida is a “statewide accredited land trust working to protect Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations.” The group was founded in 1999 as Conservation Trust for Florida, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit land trust. Bass spends his days working with landowners to preserve Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes. Over the past few decades the group has helped protect more than 25,000 acres of land and is currently leading protection projects on more than tens of thousands of acres.
Bass said it was something close to fate that drew him to the group. His strong roots in agriculture developed in him a deep love and appreciation for Florida’s environment. He was approached to consider joining Conservation Florida as a board member and simultaneously saw they were looking for a director of development. When the subject was broached that he might consider the position, it was a leap of faith, but one that seemed to mesh perfectly with his background. He said he’s thrilled he took the leap and was considered for the position as he now gets to spend his days working toward a cause he’s long been passionate about.
His agriculture roots, passion for conservation and the eight years he worked in real estate made the transition into director of conservation a challenge he was eager to meet. He’s now been at the position for approximately a year and a half and said the group’s current focus has heavily been on the Everglades’ Headwaters and Northwest Florida. The clock is ticking to conserve the land and the group continues to foster partnerships with landowners, state and federal entities to keep Florida a natural and agricultural haven.
Prior to joining Conservation Florida, Bass managed a 2000-acre farm and cattle operation and served as a Corporal in the Marine Corps with two tours in Iraq. His love of Florida is a passion he strives to pass down to his children. Bass and his family live in Lake Wales and he said he, his wife Kim, his son Max and his daughter Haddie are constantly outdoors.
“I raise my kids out in the woods,” Bass said. “We like to hunt, we like to fish. We’re just an outdoor family that loves to be outside. I’m teaching them to respect this land and they enjoy our time outside just as much as I do.”
Florida’s beauty is one of many reasons people flock to live in the Sunshine State. The demand for development is overwhelming and creeping into every nook and cranny of the state. It’s a story everyone has heard time and again: city’s cave to residential, commercial, or industrial development and agree to tear up woods or carve over fields in order to make room for the onslaught of new business and residents.
Many landowners feel at a loss for what to do to protect their property from future development. That’s where Bass and the team at Conservation Florida come in. He said he’s the guy that’s out in the field talking to ranchers, farmers, and landowners to help them get a plan in place for conservation. There’s a variety of ways that can happen, including conservation easements or land donations, but at the end of the day the group shows landowners that there is a chance to preserve the property in its current form.
“We are the only homegrown land trust that focuses on the state of Florida as a whole,” Bass said. “We work with all the land trusts in the state, but we focus on particular regions like the Everglades Headwaters, Central Florida, Northwest Florida, basically everything west of Tallahassee. There are some great land trusts like Alachua Conservation Trust, North Florida Land Trust, Tall Timbers, and Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. They really do a great job regionally in their areas so we don’t work there unless we are asked to work there. But our goals are basically to protect family farms and ranches, and we also protect wild lands, that’s what we do. In fact, our mission statement is ‘conserving Florida’s natural and agricultural lands for future generations.”
Bass said he understood why people want to move to Florida. After all, it’s the state he proudly calls home. But he wishes that the state could “grow a little smarter.” He mused that perhaps the better answer is redevelopment rather than pushing over the citrus groves and strawberry fields and large ranch lands.
If you’re involved in a nonprofit focused on conservation or Florida ranch advocacy, odds are you either have met Bass or are aware of his hidden talent: wildlife and land photography. It started as a hobby, something he decided to dip his toes into as he was already spending so much time outdoors. His love for this land led him to try to capture some of its natural beauty and overtime his photographs have begun to spring up in groups all over the state.
Conservation Florida, the Florida Cattlemen’s Association and a variety of other nonprofit groups have reached out to Bass in hopes of using his photos to further their fight toward preserving Florida. He said he gladly gives the photos for free to groups that he believes are aiming to protect these lands.
Though he’s not one to speak much on himself, Bass’ passion for Florida conservation is evident in everything he does. He’s a man that is using his talents to make the world a better place and his dedication bleeds into every aspect of his life. Whether he’s working tirelessly with Conservation Florida or taking his kids on a fishing trip, he makes it a point to take a snapshot of the land we call home and hopes that the generations that follow will be able to see the same natural beauty reflected through the lens of their cameras.
Photo by Adam Bass
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation and incubation of conservation projects.
We save land by developing conservation strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. Our other services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!
Conservation Florida Celebrates Signing of Florida Wildlife Corridor Act
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act into law today, and Conservation Florida celebrates this bipartisan win for Florida’s conservation future.
Tallahassee, Fla. (June 30, 2021) — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act into law last night and Conservation Florida celebrates this bipartisan win for Florida’s conservation future.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Act formally recognizes the geographic Florida Wildlife Corridor, a statewide greenway that spans from the Panhandle to the Everglades and aims to connect large swaths of conservation lands. More, the bill showcases the importance of its permanent protection.
“The signing of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act by Governor DeSantis marks a big win for land conservation in Florida and sparks both excitement and inspiration for Florida's conservation future,” said Traci Deen, Conservation Florida’s CEO. "Conservation Florida is thrilled to celebrate the signing of the Act into law and is grateful for the Governor’s leadership on this historic day.”
The signing of the Act is a true culmination of over a decade of work driven by partnership and spearheaded by the Florida Wildlife Corridor Coalition and the Path of the Panther initiative.
Conservation Florida, a founding partner of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Coalition, has been a partner in this effort since 2009. A primary driver of the statewide land conservancy’s conservation work is the protection of the Corridor. It works to engage landowners and government partners to protect critical properties to make the corridor vision a reality.
Conservation Florida has been working on connecting key segments of the Florida Wildlife Corridor since its founding in 1999. With the support of its incredible partners and supporters, Conservation Florida is now actively leading the charge to protect tens of thousands of acres within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and looks forward to working with the State of Florida through its Florida Forever program to achieve continued success.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Act passed unanimously in both the Florida House and Senate, demonstrating strong bipartisan support for protecting Florida’s incredible habitats, water resources, and biodiversity for future generations.
The Act recognizes that the state population is growing rapidly and that lands and waters vital to wide-ranging wildlife, like the Florida panther, need to be protected. It aims to incentivize and prioritize conservation and sustainable development within the boundaries of the Florida Wildlife Corridor and conserve Florida’s green infrastructure for the benefit of wildlife, Floridians, and the economy.
"The Florida Wildlife Corridor provides a vision for Florida as a whole that protects the places we all love, provides habitat and room to roam for our native species, cleans and stores water, provides ample outdoor recreational opportunity, supports Florida’s family farms and ranches, all while accounting for Florida’s future growth,” said Deen.
This coordinated, statewide effort to protect natural corridors would ultimately provide wildlife with access to safe passageways between conservation areas. Without wildlife corridors, iconic species like the Florida panther are at risk of becoming isolated in small islands of protected lands. Corridors allow individual animals from different sub-populations to successfully comingle and move to different habitats to find food and water as part of their natural migration patterns.
Earlier this year, Gov. DeSantis signed the 2021 Florida State Budget into law, providing $400 million to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of State Lands to conserve land through its Florida Forever program. Importantly, $300 million of that money will prioritize the conservation of wildlife corridors and both natural and agricultural landscapes. This is important as over 2 million acres of the Florida Wildlife Corridor are ranchlands, the protection of which are critical to the success of the Corridor vision.
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation and incubation of conservation projects.
We save land by developing conservation strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. Our other services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!
About the Florida Wildlife Corridor Coalition
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Coalition is a unifying voice that provides a window into wild Florida through high quality, impactful, and authentic storytelling. Using a science-based approach, on-the-ground knowledge of the Corridor, and the support of thousands of followers throughout the state and nation, the organization works to identify and elevate the most pressing threats and opportunities facing the Corridor. Seeking landscape-scale conservation, the Florida Wildlife Corridor Coalition cultivates awareness and action through film, photography, painting, drawing, mapping, storytelling, and expeditions.
About the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Act creates incentives for conservation and sustainable development while sustaining and conserving the green infrastructure that is the foundation for Florida's economy and quality of life. The Act addresses that the state population is growing rapidly and that lands and waters that provide Florida's green infrastructure and vital habitat for wide-ranging wildlife, such as the Florida panther, need to be preserved and protected.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Act aims to:
Maintain wildlife access to the habitats needed to allow for migration and genetic exchange amongst regional wildlife populations.
Prevent fragmentation of wildlife habitats.
Protect the headwaters of major watersheds, including the Everglades and the St. Johns River.
Providing ecological connectivity of the lands needed for large-scale ecosystem functions, such as water and prescribed burns that are essential for land management and restoration.
Preserve and protect land and waters that are not only vital to wildlife, but are critical to the state's groundwater recharge and serve as watersheds that provide drinking water to most Floridians as well as help maintain the health of downstream coastal estuaries.
Providing wildlife crossings for the protection and safety of wildlife and the traveling public.
Help to sustain Florida's working ranches, farms, and forests that provide compatible wildlife habitat while sustaining rural prosperity and agricultural production.
Image Credit: Adam Strang Bass on a current Conservation Florida project located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor
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Conservation Florida Wins Full Funding for Arbuckle Creek Ranch
Conservation Florida and its partners at Avon Park Air Force Range and NRCS have successfully secured funding to save the 1,250-acre Arbuckle Creek Ranch. The land will protect vital wildlife habitat, including Florida’s endangered cutthroat grass, and help sustain military readiness activities.
Arbuckle Creek winds its way through Highlands County toward Lake Okeechobee. Photo by Graham Norman.
Conservation Florida and its partners at Avon Park Air Force Range and NRCS have successfully secured funding to save the 1,250-acre Arbuckle Creek Ranch. The land will protect vital wildlife habitat, including Florida’s endangered cutthroat grass, and help sustain military readiness activities.
Avon Park, Fla., (June 15, 2021) — Conservation Florida, a dynamic driver of statewide land conservation, is moving quickly to protect 1,250 acres in Highlands County.
This will be one of many conservation lands to be permanently protected by Conservation Florida within its Headwaters to Okeechobee (H2O) regional partnership boundary. The H2O is a land conservation initiative that’s all about water in the Northern Everglades. This vibrant landscape contains historic cattle ranches, sweeping vistas, and vast ecosystems. Because it forms the headwaters of the Greater Everglades, its protection is critical for the future of Florida’s freshwater supply.
The owners of Arbuckle Creek Ranch signed an agreement with Conservation Florida in mid 2020 that gave the nonprofit time to seek funding to purchase a conservation easement, which is a binding legal agreement that permanently restricts development activities on environmentally sensitive lands.
A cowboy rides out on a foggy morning to tend cattle on Arbuckle Creek Ranch. Photo by Carlton Ward, Jr.
Conservation Florida achieved its fundraising goal through competitive federal grant programs and is now finalizing plans to permanently protect the land’s special attributes.
Arbuckle Creek Ranch is important to protect and beneficial to the public because it helps filter and replenish drinking water within the Lake Istokpoga watershed, which drains into the Kissimmee River and on to Lake Okeechobee. It also supports local agriculture, aids military readiness, and provides habitat for native plants and wildlife.
The ranch is within the boundaries of the Avon Park Air Force Range (APAFR) Sentinel Landscape. This vast landscape is centered around the Air Force’s “largest primary air-to-ground training range east of the Mississippi River,” according to APAFR.
“The protection benefits of Arbuckle Creek Ranch extend well beyond its boundaries,” said Traci Deen, Conservation Florida’s CEO. “It contributes to the health of the entire Greater Everglades Ecosystem and adds to the Florida Wildlife Corridor.”
Last year, the U.S. Dept. of Defense, through its Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, pledged over $1.7 million to support Conservation Florida’s campaign to protect Arbuckle Creek Ranch.
Now, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has awarded Conservation Florida and its regional partners the remaining funds needed to carry Arbuckle Creek Ranch over the finish line and protect this special property forever.
“When private landowners, nonprofits, and agencies work together, we can protect critical ranch lands within the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape. Partnerships such as this one are helping to keep the ranching industry viable in Florida while protecting threatened ecosystems and wildlife,” said Juan Hernandez, NRCS state conservationist for Florida.
The NRCS administers the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program for Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE), which provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands and wetlands and their related benefits.
In addition to the water, wildlife, and habitat benefits, protection of Arbuckle Creek Ranch will benefit Avon Park Air Force Range by reducing residential development that interferes with military operations.
“We are extremely grateful to NRCS for their support and are pleased to see this project move forward. Working in conjunction with NRCS and Conservation Florida to acquire a conservation easement on Arbuckle Creek Ranch is a tremendous opportunity to protect working lands, promote conservation, and enhance mission sustainability at Avon Park Air Force Range,” said Buck MacLaughlin, Lt. Col., Ret. AF. “Protecting this property buffers the flight path into Arbuckle Airfield and protects night-time military training by limiting dense construction of incompatible light sources. The ability to operate at night is a distinct advantage that our military forces use while serving our country.”
“Arbuckle Creek Ranch is an exceptional property,” said Adam Bass, Conservation Florida’s director of conservation. “It will protect a mile of natural land along Arbuckle Creek, two pristine streams, rangelands that are part of Highland County’s cultural heritage, and hundreds of acres of critical habitat.”
At a time when Florida is facing intense development pressures, ranchlands are sought after for conversion into large housing developments and planned communities. Conservation Florida has made ranchlands in the Northern Everglades a top protection priority within its Headwaters to Okeechobee regional land and water conservation initiative.
Arbuckle Creek Ranch is a family-run cow-calf operation where a herd of cattle is managed with the goal of raising calves to sell. It is also home to an endangered cutthroat grass community that spans 300 hundred acres.
The natural habitat on the property is also ideal for Florida scrub jays, eastern indigo snakes, and gopher tortoises. Florida panthers, and other endangered Florida species, have been documented on the ranch.
The Arbuckle Creek Ranch conservation easement project is one of many that Conservation Florida is working on in the Greater Everglades ecosystem. The larger goal of the regional initiative is to form a continuous conservation corridor stretching from the Everglades Headwaters to Lake Okeechobee.
Help Conservation Florida save more land and keep Florida wildly beautiful by making a donation today!
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation and incubation of conservation projects.
We save land by developing conservation strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. Our other services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!
About NRCS
NRCS puts more than 80 years of experience to work assisting America's private landowners with conserving their soil, water and other natural resources. Local, state and federal agencies and policymakers also rely on our expertise. We deliver technical assistance based on sound science and suited to a customer's specific needs. Cost shares and financial incentives are available in some cases. The majority of conservation application is accomplished with local partners. Our partnership with local conservation districts serves almost every county in Florida. Participation in NRCS programs is voluntary.
About Avon Park Air Force Range
Avon Park Air Force Range is a 106,000-acre military training facility located in Polk and Highlands Counties, in South-Central Florida (see our official mission statement). The Fish, Wildlife, and Outdoor Recreation Program works in coordination with the Air Force to provide recreational opportunities to the public and military personnel.
APAFR is known as a world-class destination for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, birding, and outdoor educational opportunities for all ages.